Story+2000-05-21+Anaheim,+CA

“Good evening, Anaheim (crowd cheers) I’m glad to be here with you tonight…”
 * 21.05.00 Anaheim, CA, intro to “Mansion on the Hill”**

“May I, baby?...can I, honey?...(does the pelvic thrust towards the audience) thank you, baby…(sings a bit of “It’s Alright” and “Take Me to the River”) yes it is…that’s where I wanna go tonight...I wanna go to that river…I wanna find that river of life…and that river of love....I wanna go to that river of hope....and that river of faith and strength...I wanna find that river of transformation...where you can go there and, if you want to, you can change yourself...I wanna find that river of resurrection…where everybody gets a second chance...to make it right…and I wanna go to that river of sexual healing…let the healing begin – let it begin, baby, let it begin (chuckles)…and companionship…I wanna find that river…but I can’t get there by myself...that´s why we´re here tonight…because no matter how you try, you can’t get to those things by yourself…I need you to go with me tonight…because I need to go with you…I want, tonight I wanna throw a rock’n’roll exorcism…a rock’n’roll baptism...I wanna be washed in those waters and set free again and again and again...but once I stood as a young man…I stood one evening before a dark grove of trees...and I was, just like a little child, I was frightened to pass through those trees....to the other side…even though I knew that on the other side was waiting the river of life...cold beer at a reasonable price...and there were no fucking cellphones! (chuckles) but still I was paralyzed…and a gypsy woman called me forward and she said “Son, what you need is you need some help...because you can’t get there by yourself – what’s your line?” and I told her my line and she said “Man, what you need to get there is you need a band...the rockingest little band”…that´s why tonight I’m proud to introduce the Dean of the University of Musical Perversity, the Secretary of Intelligence, on the piano Professor Roy Bittan (crowd cheers) I want to go from the piano to the Soprano, the Secretary of Faith and Friendship, the keeper of all things righteous on E Street and star of the Sopranos-television show…Little Steven Van Zandt on the guitar (crowd cheers) stand with me, Brother, at the riverside…the foundation of the E Street nation, Mr. Garry W. Tallent on the bass (crowd cheers) the man that brings the power night after night, the Minister of the Mighty Beat and star of Late Night television: Mighty Max Weinberg (crowd cheers) the Godfather of the guitar, the Secretary of Heart and Spirit, the great Nils Lofgren (crowd cheers) the Minister of Mystery, the keeper of all things unfathomable on E Street, on the Hammond B-3 organ and accordion, Brother Dan Federici (crowd cheers) and I…and I…and I…and I…I’ve got sunshine on a cloudy day…when it’s cold outside, I’ve got the month of May…everybody now (crowd: “(?) you say what can make me feel this way?”) oh, my girl, talking ‘bout my girl…the First Lady of Love, on guitar and vocals, Miss Patti Scialfa (crowd cheers) thank you, baby…and now last but not least (crowd cheers) last but not least…the Minister of soul, Secretary of the brotherhood...and if we lived in a righteous nation, the next President of the United States (crowd cheers) do I have to say his name? (crowd cheers) do I have to say his name? (crowd cheers) say who? (crowd: “Clarence”) say who? (crowd: “Clarence”) say who? (crowd: “Clarence”) say who? (crowd: “Clarence”) say who? (crowd: “Clarence”) say who? (crowd: “Clarence”) say who? (crowd: “Clarence”) say who? (crowd: “Clarence”) say who? (crowd: “Clarence”) say who? (crowd: “Clarence”)…”
 * 21.05.00 Anaheim, CA, middle of “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out”**

“Thank you (crowd cheers)…oh, thanks, wanna do this tonight for the Second Harvest Foodbank…folks are here with us tonight…one, two, testing…a little brighter maybe (?)…here’s uh…the Second Harvest Foodbank works here in the Anaheim area to provide hunger relief…to many, many, many people that the economy is not reaching…Second Harvest Foodbank collects and distributes food to grassroots agencies that serve the struggling citizens here in the Anaheim area…they can use your support and your involvement…they’ll be out in the hall tonight, on the way out please stop by and check ‘em out and see what they’re doing and give, uh…give ‘em a hand if you can, this is for the folks from the Second Harvest Foodbank…”
 * 21.05.00 Anaheim, CA, intro to “The Ghost of Tom Joad”**

“…Anaheim! (crowd cheers) but everywhere I’ve gone, I’ve seen people lost in confusion...I’ve seen people lost in the wilderness... I’ve seen people lost in bitterness…I’ve seen people lost in loneliness…I’ve seen people lost in the Mighty Ducks memorabilia ...I’ve seen people lost...but tonight we’ve come here thousands of miles, around the world many times…but we’re here on a search-and-rescue mission…we’ve come tonight, if you’re downhearted, disspirited, disgusted, dispossessed, downsized, stigmatized, analyzed…fucking Disney-ized!...Republicanized...it’s not too late to repent…I’m here tonight...I’m here tonight...I’m here tonight...I’m here tonight...I’m here tonight...I’m here tonight...I’m here tonight …to re-educate you, to resuscitate you, to regenerate you, to re-confiscate you, to re-combobolate you, to re-sexualate you (crowd cheers) to re-liberate you with the power and the glory, with the power and the glory, with the majesty, with the mystery...with the ministry of rock’n’roll! (crowd cheers) that’s right!...that’s right! ...that’s right!...but, unlike my competitors, I shall not…I will not…I cannot…I shall not…promise you life everlasting...but I can promise you life right now! (crowd cheers)and all you gotta do is raise your hand and say “I” (“I”’s with the audience J)...”
 * 21.05.00 Anaheim, CA, middle of “Light of Day”**

“Woo!...alright…I’ll send this one out tonight to (?) and Tommy, Tom and Earl, here we go…”
 * 21.05.00 Anaheim, CA, intro to “This Hard Land”**

“One more time for Anaheim…are you ready to rumble? (crowd cheers)… (…) I’m going…I’m going…I’m going…(Steve: “Boss, where you going?”)…I’m going to Disneyland!...”
 * 21.05.00 Anaheim, CA, intro to “Ramrod”**

//Compiled by Johanna Pirttijärvi//